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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hinted the 49ers targeted his injured ankle during the teams’ “Monday Night Football” matchup last season, but wouldn’t go as far as to say the team did anything illegal or dirty to do so.

Roethlisberger, who threw three interceptions and fumbled twice in the 20-3 Niners victory that will be remembered for two blackouts, was asked on “The Dan Patrick Show” the last time he felt a team was going after a specific part of his body.

“Um, wow, that’s tough,” Roethlisberger said on the radio program, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reported. “I don’t really complain about that stuff, either. But I think when we played San Fran, I felt like there were some things going on, some extra. ... Now, obviously, I did have the ankle and I was playing, so there was kind of a bull’s-eye on there anyway. But for the most part, guys play tough and you go into a game expecting it. I expect to be tougher than them.”

The New Orleans Saints’ bounty scandal has dominated the NFL’s offseason, leading to numerous conversations about concussions and the health of NFL players.